


let down the walls

by SkyRose



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-13 05:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20168737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyRose/pseuds/SkyRose
Summary: Robin couldn’t help but want to know more aboutSteve “The Hair” Harrington.She hated the guy for half of high school and now they were sorta best friends. She wanted to know his deepest regrets and worst fears and what made him tick.But, she was able to restrain herself from broaching the topic. There was never an ideal time anyway.Well, until Nancy Wheeler walked into the rental store carrying her little sister.





	let down the walls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kingstoken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingstoken/gifts).

> Prompt song was The Good Parts by Andy Grammer. You can listen to it [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wk8ZRgXQnY)

Other than their drug-induced ramblings in the mall bathroom, they never let their conversations grow too serious. And there are a variety of reasons for this to make sense.

One, Steve’s a lighthearted guy.

Two, they have plenty of nerd shit to talk about, because Steve has a _ lot _ of catching up to do.

Three, the kids are around more often than not. Even with two of them out of Hawkins, there’s always one or two around to bother them.

Robin couldn’t help but want to know more about _ Steve “The Hair” Harrington. _ She hated the guy for half of high school and now they were sorta best friends. She wanted to know his deepest regrets and worst fears and what made him tick. 

But, she was able to restrain herself from broaching the topic. There was never an ideal time anyway. 

Well, until Nancy Wheeler walked into the rental store carrying her little sister.

Robin watched Steve visibly deflate, even his hair drooping slightly at the sight of his ex-girlfriend. He excused himself to the back. Robin would usually make a snappy comment about his overuse of the bathroom, but, man, he looked so _ sad. _

Nancy rented an animated movie her sister picked out. She greeted Robin politely and went on her way.

“Coast is clear, Harrington!” Robin called once the door had shut behind Nancy.

Exactly three seconds passed before Steve emerged, commenting, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Robin gave him an unimpressed look. She could admit it was not as harsh as her usual glares. Steve picked up the bin of returned tapes and began to sort them, pointedly avoiding Robin’s eyes.

“Steve.”

He hummed but did not look her way.

“Harrington.”

Nope, eyes still fixed on shitty movies.

“Dingus.”

That earned her the briefest glance, which felt like permission to continue.

“We can talk about it, if you wanna,” she offered. 

Steve crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter. He met Robin’s gaze fully, putting all his annoyance on display. “If you think this is a conversation we can have without a Russian truth serum, you’re going to be disappointed,” he said.

Robin walked closer to him to shake his shoulders and whine, “Let out your emotions, Steve!”

“I hate you,” Steve replied as he was being jostled.

Robin took a step back. Steve kept his arms crossed and Robin figured she wasn’t getting anything out of him. 

Today, at least. She’d try again later.

\---

They were taking the kids up to the hills so they could chat with Suzie. Somehow they had become the transportation service to the children of Hawkins. Well, Steve had. Robin went were Steve went and vice versa.

Robin watched as Dustin sprinted up the hill to his radio tower. Mike was following him closely, while Max and Lucas trailed behind with their fingers entangled. 

She and Steve waited in the car, listening to Steve’s favorite mixtape. It would get dark soon, the sun already partially dipping below the horizon, so they’d be dropping off all the kids soon enough.

In the meantime, they were alone and out of conversation topics. A perfect time for Robin to bring up the incident from a few days ago.

“So…” Robin began, drumming her fingers in her lap. “Why isn’t Nancy the one driving around Mike?”

Steve shrugged, fiddling with the A/C knobs. “She works a lot. I think she’s in Chicago right now anyway.”

“Oh?” Robin tried to hold back her immense curiosity. She had a million questions she wanted to throw at him, but she knew it would be better to let him talk at his own pace.

“Yeah… She’s, uh, trying to get an internship there since Jonathan…” His eyebrows drew together as he stared at the windshield, focusing on a nearby tree. “Since the Byers moved there.”

Robin nodded. “So they’re pretty serious, huh?”

Steve sighed. He leaned forward to rest his forehead on the steering wheel. “I guess.”

Robin nudged him with her elbow. “Let it out, Steve.”

Steve let out a short, breathy laugh lacking any sincerity and dripping in self-loathing. “I don’t see any Russian scientists.”

Robin leaned in to Steve’s space, trying to catch his eyes. “No, but your caring friend is here. She wants to make sure you’re happy and all that.”

“Of the two of us, I don’t think I should be complaining about not having a girlfriend,” Steve pointed out.

“That’s what this is about? You being single?” Robin questioned. “I thought you were still hung up on Nancy.”

“Nah, not really. I mean, she was great, really great! But her and Jonathan seem pretty perfect for each other,” Steve answered, pausing before he continued his rambling. “I’m in a weird place right now. I used to be cool, and now I’m not, but I’m fine with it. I’m a nerd or whatever…”

“You’re lonely,” Robin stated.

“Yeah, sorry,” Steve replied, wincing at his own words. “You’re my only friend. All my old ones were tools anyway. I love hanging out with you, really! But…”

“Hey, man, it’s fine. I get it,” Robin assured. She patted his back and continued, “I’d much rather hang out with my nonexistent girlfriend than you, too.”

Steve chuckled a bit at that, relaxing back into his seat. “I’m glad we’re in agreement then.”

“You’ll snag one eventually, Harrington. And she’ll stick. Nancy wasn’t good for you anyway,” Robin assured him.

He shook his head. “She was _ too _ good for me. I’d still be a douchebag if weren’t for her.”

“Don’t fret, you’re still a douchebag,” Robin quipped. 

“You’re the worst.”

“And yet you love me.”

“You make it nearly impossible.”

Robin ruffled his hair. “For what it’s worth, I appreciate your honesty. I knew you could do it without the Russians.”

Steve hurried to put his hair back in place. “I knew you’d keep bugging me if I didn’t.”

“Doesn’t it feel good to get it off your chest? Now we can be girlfriend-less lonely idiots together,” Robin said with a dreamy tone, looking into the distant sunset.

“Speak for yourself,” Steve replied. “I don’t plan on being single for much longer.”

Robin snorted. She saw the kids hurrying back to the car in the distance. She ruffled Steve’s hair again, just because she could. “Whatever you say, Harrington.”

Steve’s seemed a bit lighter as he chatted with the kids once they all piled into their spots. Robin knew he would. After she told Steve the truth in the bathroom, she felt the same.

Lighter, happier, overall better.

He was lonely, yes, but now he knew he wasn’t alone.


End file.
